The Best Trailers Of E3 2015

But there certainly hasn't been the glut of "must own" video games promised for the formerly-next-gen consoles. It's why several hundred thousand gamers are still thumping away on their PlayStation 3s and Xbox 360s.

And it's why this year's E3 showcase has a lot riding on it. Collected below are the most promising reasons to splash out on the latest generation of gaming slabs - sure, they're only trailers, but at least they're starting to look the part.

We'll be adding to this list throughout the events of E3

DOOM

Due: Spring 2016

This shiny, gory reboot/sequel/successor of the hellish title of 1993 takes the pixelated carnage you grew up with and gives it a fresh HD coating. The demons are uglier, the guns are bigger and the blood is... bloodier?

Fallout 4

Due: 10 November

A bold move from Bethesda: having sent internet fanboys (ourselves included) into fits of glee with a luscious trailer for Fallout 4, the studio used its E3 stage to show off actual gameplay footage. The apocalypse is shaping up nicely.

Dishonored 2

Due: TBC

The cloak-and-dagger action of Dishonored was a 'surprise' hit of the last console generation, blending satisfying stealth mechanics with stunning aesthetics. The much-rumoured sequel looks set to do more of the same.

Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Due: 23 October

Cor blimey guv', what a delight for the old ocular senses, etc. Assassin's Creed points its annual machine in the direction of London amidst the grime and steam of its industrial revolution. All the standard features of running over roof tops with pointy knives return, along with new party pieces including riding a horse and cart down the middle of cobbled Landan town.

Star Wars: Battlefront

Due: 17 November

We don't want to build up the hype too much, but this short demo video holds enough promise to suggest DICE has made the greatest Star Wars game ever. Which is more a comment on how bad most Star Wars games are than how good this looks - but you get the point. Worth playing for the sound effects alone.

Tom Clancy's The Division

Due: 2016, TBC

We've been hearing about this one since late 2012, but the new Tom Clancy IP is nearly, nearly ready to come out to play. Society has fallen, thanks largely to the spread of a deadly virus, and chaos has brought the US to its knees. Only the soldiers of the secretive Division can help maintain a thread of order.

Uncharted 4

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It might have been nudged out of a 2015 Christmas release, but given the latest demo of Drake's new adventure, you wouldn't want Naughty Dog to rush it. The only thing that manages to outshine the trademark humour is the graphic improvement.

Street Fighter V

Due: March 2016

More than 30 games into the series, Capcom finally names one Street Fighter V. Classic characters return, joined by new battle mechanics (V-Trigger and V-Gauge, which should help those of you've found yourself on the end of a beating in previous instalments), and shinier graphics. Otherwise, it's the same ol' beat-em-up you've been playing since puberty.

Hitman

Due: 8 December

Agent 47 is back, bringing very few details with him. The sixth game in the franchise, talk is of a purer, more visceral assassin game than previous titles delivered. That should translate into fewer loading screens, bigger missions and lots more ways to complete the contract.

Final Fantasy VII

Due: TBC

Yep. Get excited. Returning with bigger hair, bigger swords and a bigger pixel count than the classic of 1997 could ever imagine, Could Strife and his band of heroes are returning to refresh modern consoles and remind us that they don't make Final Fantasy games like they used to.

Dark Souls III

Due: TBC

The nightmare returns. Fresh from their success of terrifying PS4 gamers with Bloodborne, the hellish minds of Japanese studio From Software have been quietly working on the latest instalment of the Dark Souls series, teasing a gritty, corpse-strewn trailer with monsters so large we can already feel our palms sweating. How the heck are we supposed to beat that guy?

Mass Effect Andromeda

Due: Late 2016

Ready to go back to space? Mass Effect returns with little by way of details, but heaps of hype-building atmosphere.

Halo 5

Due: 27 October

Microsoft's big play. The Xbox One-seller isn't going with a shiny OTT cinematic trailer, but a glorious slice of gameplay footage. New weapons, new enemies and insights into a storyline that sees the heroic Master Chief hunted by his own kind. Here's hoping it makes more sense that Halo 4...

Gears of War 4

Due: Late 2016

So that's where all the protein shakes have been going. Microsoft has pulled back the veil on its other major IP, showing off some mighty impressive visuals for the latest Gears title. Apparently this is a new 'saga' - so expect different enemies and new characters (with equally massive guns, in both senses of the term).

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Due: 1 September

We don't know how to best describe the latest Metal Gear Solid V trailer other than to say it's got something about it. Something odd. Something slightly overstated. Something to suggest it could get lost up its own backside in explaining how language is a weapon. But it looks great, so we're willing to be convinced that something is worth playing.

Minecraft with Microsoft HoloLens

Due: TBC

See you later, LEGO. Microsoft's artificial reality goggles HoloLens are set to transform the world of Minecraft from a screen-based builder to a brick world you can set up on your dining table. We're not convinced this is exactly what it'll look like, but it's a darn impressive vision of the future.